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Founded 16 years ago with two cars in Vancouver’s West End, Modo The Car Co-op is celebrating a milestone achievement this month, adding its 300th vehicle to the fleet.

Modo said it will also double its fleets in both Surrey and Richmond and place its first vehicle in Coquitlam this fall.

Modo explained its 300th vehicle found its home at the District Main residential development, at Main Street and East 28th Avenue in Vancouver. With a shared interest in promoting healthy lifestyles and building vibrant, participatory communities, Modo and District Main worked together to expand multi-modal transportation options for residents of the rental property, placing the vehicle conveniently in the building’s underground parking for use by any Modo member.

To make it happen, Modo provided the car – a shiny red 2014 Nissan Note – and District Main provided free parking and broad communications support, both in the building and amongst neighborhood allies.

For District Main residents and neighbours, having carsharing options close to home was a priority, according to the building’s general manager Lolly Bennett.

“I asked our tenants, when it came to carsharing, who were they most interested in, and the answer we heard back was Modo,” said Bennett. “We have a strong connection to our community here – businesses and neighbours – and Modo’s own commitment to supporting community initiatives made for a great fit at District Main.”

Modo said it grew to more than 9,000 members and business drivers across Metro Vancouver; vehicle locations are determined based on where members are and their proximity to transit and cycling infrastructure, with partnerships with developers and residential properties, like District Main, offering opportunities for further expansion.

“We’re proud to not only save people money, but to achieve that through our co-operative business model,” declared Modo board chair Joel DeYoung. “We’re making cities across the region – from North Vancouver to Surrey, from UBC to Coquitlam – more livable and less congested, protecting vital green space by removing cars from the road.”

Modo estimates that for every vehicle it adds to the grid, as many as 13 privately owned vehicles are taken off the road, with 41 percent of members reporting they’d sold or gotten rid of a vehicle within one year of joining Modo. In a recent survey, 81percent of members said they would “definitely” or “likely” have bought a personal vehicle had it not been for Modo. According to the carsharing coop, in a region where it’s estimated a new car is added to the road every 15 minutes, carsharing offers much-needed relief to Metro Vancouver’s land base.